After Hurricane Matthew’s flooding, NC families can’t go home again
"We can't live in our house, and we can't sell it," said
The home first went underwater during flooding from Hurricane Floyd in 1999 and was repaired before the Beattys bought it 11 years ago. They shared it with their three children and had enlarged it to accommodate three additional family members.
All eight survived the flood, and they managed to snatch a few belongings from the home as the water came across the driveway and rose into the yard. Eventually, water submerged two vehicles that were left behind. It climbed more than three feet into the house.
When the water receded a week later and the Beattys went to see what was left, furniture and appliances were upended, floors were warped and mold was growing up the walls.
In the months since, volunteers have helped clean out the house, rip up the ruined floors and subfloors and cut down the molded drywall. The Beattys had flood insurance that would pay to repair some of the damage. But they would have to borrow the rest, and even if they could afford the additional monthly payments, they can't move their middle son back into the house on
Kaleek Beatty, 11, had a kidney transplant in December and his doctors at
"Absolutely not," said Dr.
Chambers said the house never could be made safe for a child whose immune system must be suppressed to keep his body from rejecting a donor organ.
Repairing and moving back into a flood-prone home might not present a major health risk for most of those displaced by the storm. But many who own homes that were flooded by Hurricane Matthew and previous storms now hope the government will help them elevate their houses beyond the water's grasp, or just buy their homes, level them, turn the land into green space and free the families to start anew on higher ground.
They would do that through the
Homes that are elevated with hazard mitigation grants must be raised above the 100-year flood level.
Cities and counties that saw massive flooding from Hurricane Matthew are still gathering information, but
"Without a doubt this will be the largest-scale mitigation program since Hurricane Floyd," Burk said. "We're certainly looking at 1,000 to 2,000 structures, based on early estimates."
A long process
"After Fran, people were very reluctant," Dail said. Most thought they would never see such high water again, and they didn't want to give up land where their parents or grandparents had settled or where they had laid down roots themselves. Some feared they wouldn't be adequately compensated, though the program is supposed to pay participants a pre-disaster fair-market price.
"Then three years later, Floyd comes along, and it was like a mad rush, people wanting to sign up," Dail said. That time,
Still, some homeowners stayed put, and were flooded again by Hurricane Matthew along with some people whose homes had stayed dry during previous storms.
So far, Dail said, 230 homeowners across the county have asked to be included in post-Matthew hazard mitigation.
Because the total amount of grant money is limited, not all who apply will get help. Local governments launch the process by sending a letter to the state asking to participate. Leaders hold local meetings where homeowners can learn how the program works, and do other outreach to gauge interest. Homeowners also can contact their local emergency management or planning office for help applying.
Local officials decide which mitigation choices to offer: acquisition, elevation, or a relatively new one, reconstruction. Not every town or county is expected to offer reconstruction, which is used when a house is too badly damaged to repair but there is no feasible way to relocate the household. The original house is torn down and rebuilt on the same footprint, but elevated above the flood line.
The state will help local governments determine which properties are eligible for hazard mitigation funding and of those, which should take priority. The state then submits the proposals to
Properties have to be surveyed, titles researched, contracts let.
No quick fix
It's not a quick solution. Mitigation is typically a 1- to 2-year process, and it sometimes takes longer to close the books on a disaster.
"We're trying to expedite the process as much as we can," said Burk, in the state office, adding that after Hurricane Irene in 2011, some acquisitions were wrapped up in 13 months.
In the meantime, some families are able to make their homes livable while they work through the hazard mitigation program. Some stay with family members or in hotels.
From a town or county's perspective, a drawback to acquiring a home through mitigation is that it becomes government property and no longer generates tax revenue. Local officials hope displaced families will remain in the community and purchase or build new homes to help offset the loss.
Latisha and
The family's expenses have been mounting, and the Beattys have a GoFundMe account to help pay their share of Kaleek's doctor and medication costs. His drugs are expected to cost about
"One person told me, 'For sure, I'm not going back. I elevated after Hurricane Floyd and I'm not going through this again. I want to move out. I'm done.'"
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